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Home Front: Politix
CBS Can't Vouch for Bush Guard Documents
2004-09-20
CBS admitted Monday that it cannot vouch for the authenticity of documents used to support a "60 Minutes" story that questioned President Bush's Vietnam War-era National Guard service, after several experts denounced them as fakes. The network said it was wrong to go on the air with a story that it could not substantiate. "We should not have used them, CBS News President Andrew Heyward said. "That was a mistake, which we deeply regret."
"We are, like, rilly sorry we got caught..."
CBS also said it was commissioning an independent review of the incident, and will announce the names of the people conducting the review will be announced shortly.
If there's any justice, a couple of bloggers should be on the review panel.
Sure thing...Kos and Atrios, presiding...
The announcement was a major blow to the credibility of CBS News and its chief anchor, Dan Rather, who reported the story. Almost immediately after the Sept. 8 story aired, document experts questioned memos purportedly written by Bush's late squadron leader, saying they appeared to have been created on a computer and not a typewriter that was in use during the 1970s. CBS strongly defended its story, and it wasn't until a week later - after the military leader's former secretary said she believed the memos were fake - did the news division admit they were questionable. Even then, Rather said no one had disputed the story's premise: that the future president had pulled strings to get a relatively cushy National Guard assignment and failed to satisfy the requirements of his service. Rather this weekend interviewed Bill Burkett, a retired Texas National Guard officials who has been mentioned as a possible source for the documents. His interview will be on "CBS Evening News" on Monday. CBS said Burkett acknowledged he provided the documents and said he deliberately misled a CBS producer, giving her a false account of their origin to protect a promise of confidentiality to a source.
Not a surprise since Burkett has misled plenty of other people before.
The Associated Press could not immediately reach Burkett for comment.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  After much thought I sent the following complaint to CBS:
"You call that an apology? Where is the apology for President Bush (both of them)? How about the Killian Family? The Texas ANG? Gee you think that maybe (just maybe) the reason you had trouble supporting this story is because the whole thing is a fabrication? Some wet dream of first Ann Richards and then carried forward by the DNC. Everything that has EVER been presented showed that President Bush joined, served, and was honorably discharged from the Texas ANG. How about saving a little bit of journalistic dignity and put out a retraction to the entire story. Five years and you have hearsay and forged documents. You also have several people that just happen to think that Lt Bush was a good pilot and officer. Why is it that you don’t look at the facts and conclude what the story is not a story but an urban legend? How about facing the fact that the story just is not true, was never true, and move on?"

I encourage you all to send your comments to them as well.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-09-20 7:29:36 PM  

#5  Agreed, Don; CBS wasn't duped, they were caught
Posted by: Mercutio   2004-09-20 4:54:14 PM  

#4  Don that is about the best analogy I have ever heard concerning this subject. Ms. Mapes wanted to believe the memos because she needed to believe them. Otherwise her preconceived notion (and DNC talking point) was not true. For those that still think Bush got a pass into the guard, you can’t possibly understand what happens. He still had to fly jet fighters, no small feat in an F-102. Why would a commander allow someone who was not qualified to operate a complicated piece of machinery? Especially when they had to fly right next to him. Maybe if Bush had been given a position that was overstaffed, or made him morale officer (as a primary duty), I would believe this fairy tale. But by all (not forged) accounts Lt Bush did a great job while in the guard, this must drive the LLL press and the DNC crazy.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-09-20 2:49:33 PM  

#3  Any investigation of this should be done by the FBI or CID because we're talking about Federal level felonies here. Whoever did this passed them off as official US Military documents.
Posted by: Anonymous6565   2004-09-20 2:23:21 PM  

#2  Furhter on from today's AP story:

The documents were said to be written by Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian, indicating he was being pressured to "sugarcoat" the performance ratings of a young Bush, then the son of a Texas congressman, and that Bush failed to follow orders to take a physical. Killian died in 1984.

Again piss poor partisan reporting. Bush 41 was not a Texas Congressman when the Killian forgeries were dated. The press keeps digging themselves a mass murder grave. Is there a word for MSM-acide?

Posted by: Jack is Back   2004-09-20 1:51:03 PM  

#1  Ah, come on guys. Its like a police sting for johns. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't have been caught. You were caught and you certainly prostituted your trade. I think now we know it is not a 'profession'.
Posted by: Don   2004-09-20 1:42:41 PM  

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